AP Physics 1 credit at Washington colleges

Every Washington college with a published AP Physics 1 credit policy — minimum score, credit hours, and the course it replaces.

Quick answer

40 of 45 Washington colleges (89%) award credit for AP Physics 1 at a score of 3. 5 require a 4 and 0 require a 5. The lowest bar in the state is a 3 at University of Washington-Seattle Campus (5 credit hours). 44 of these colleges link to their own policy page below. Captured July 30, 2026.

Colleges that award credit for AP Physics 1, with the minimum qualifying score, credit hours awarded and the equivalent course.
CollegeMin scoreCreditsCounts asSource
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle
35PHYS 101Policy
Washington State University
Pullman
33Policy
Western Washington University
Bellingham
35Physics 114Policy
Central Washington University
Ellensburg
35Policy
Bellevue College
Bellevue
36PHYS& 114Policy
Eastern Washington University
Cheney
35General ElectivePolicy
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell
35PHYS 101Policy
Clark College
Vancouver
35PHYS& 124 and 134Policy
Green River College
Auburn
35PHYS 900Policy
Pierce College District
Lakewood
35PHYS& 114 (5)Policy
Everett Community College
Everett
35PHYS& 114Policy
Tacoma Community College
Tacoma
35PHYS& 114Policy
Columbia Basin College
Pasco
35Policy
Spokane Community College
Spokane
35Policy
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma
35PHYS 101Policy
Seattle Central College
Seattle
35Science DistributionPolicy
Highline College
Des Moines
35PHYS 900Policy
Olympic College
Bremerton
36PHYS 114Policy
Spokane Falls Community College
Spokane
35SCIENCE DISTRIBUTIONPolicy
North Seattle College
Seattle
35Policy
South Puget Sound Community College
Olympia
35PHYS& 114, PHYS& 124 + 134 or other algebra-based physics class (mechanics)Policy
Skagit Valley College
Mount Vernon
35Policy
Clover Park Technical College
Lakewood
3
Walla Walla Community College
Walla Walla
35PHYS& 114Policy
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma
34PHYS 100TRPolicy
Whatcom Community College
Bellingham
35PHYS&114Policy
Lake Washington Institute of Technology
Kirkland
35Policy
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle
35General ElectivePolicy
The Evergreen State College
Olympia
38Policy
Wenatchee Valley College
Wenatchee
35PHYS& 114Policy
Lower Columbia College
Longview
35Policy
Bates Technical College
Tacoma
35PHYS& 114Policy
Renton Technical College
Renton
3PHYS 900 natural science creditsPolicy
Bellingham Technical College
Bellingham
35Elective - Science DistributionPolicy
South Seattle College
Seattle
35PHYS& 114, PHYS& 124 + 134Policy
Big Bend Community College
Moses Lake
35Policy
Saint Martin's University
Lacey
34PHY 141Policy
Peninsula College
Port Angeles
35PHYS& 114, PHYS& 124 + 134Policy
Cascadia College
Bothell
35Policy
Northwest University
Kirkland
34Policy
Gonzaga University
Spokane
43Physics 106Policy
Seattle University
Seattle
45PHYS 1050 & 1051Policy
Whitworth University
Spokane
43PS 131Policy
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma
41PHYS 111Policy
DigiPen Institute of Technology
Redmond
4PHY 115Policy

AP Physics 1 credit in other states

How we ranked this

One row per Washington college: the lowest score that earns actual credit under the policy that applies to all students, and the largest credit award published at that score. Placement-only policies — permission to skip a course without earning credit hours — are excluded. Credit hours and course equivalents are reproduced exactly as the college published them; “—” means no value was published and we do not estimate one. A page is published for a state only when at least 8 colleges back it.

Frequently asked questions

Which Washington colleges give credit for AP Physics 1?+

45 colleges in Washington publish a credit-bearing policy for AP Physics 1. 40 of them (89%) award credit at a score of 3, 5 require a 4, and 0 require a 5. The full list, with credit hours and the course each exam replaces, is in the table on this page.

What is the lowest AP Physics 1 score that earns credit in Washington?+

3. University of Washington-Seattle Campus in Seattle awards credit at a score of 3, worth 5 credit hours, counting as PHYS 101. 40 Washington colleges in total set their bar at a 3 or lower.

Does in-state residency change AP credit in Washington?+

No. AP credit policy is set per institution and applies to admitted students regardless of residency — residency affects tuition rate, not credit awards. What does vary is the school within a university: engineering and nursing colleges commonly set higher bars than arts and sciences. The rules shown here are the ones that apply to all students at each college.

How do I verify these Washington AP credit policies?+

44 of the 45 colleges on this page link to their own published AP credit page in the Source column; our snapshot was taken July 30, 2026. The college's page is authoritative and can change between admission cycles, so confirm there before building a graduation plan around the credit.

Keep exploring

Data sources: Each college's own published AP / advanced-standing credit page (captured July 30, 2026) · IPEDS institution directory (names, control, location). Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. CertiHomes Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.